Karen DeWitt

Albany Reporter

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. WBFO listeners are accustomed to hearing DeWitt’s insightful coverage throughout the day, including expanded reports on Morning Edition.

DeWitt is a past recipient of the prestigious Walter T. Brown Memorial award for excellence in journalism, from the Legislative Correspondents Association, and was named Media Person of the Year by the Women’s Press Club of New York State.

DeWitt has served as a panelist for numerous political debates, including the 2014 gubernatorial debate sponsored by WNED|WBFO

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act — also known as Obamacare — and replace it with something else. While no one really knows what that means, one health care analyst with a prominent Albany think tank said New York could be billions of dollars in the hole as a result.

A long-term energy plan by the Cuomo administration that includes a nearly $8 billion subsidy to two upstate nuclear power plants is being challenged from both ends of the political spectrum, and a lawsuit has been filed to try to stop the deal.

Governor Andrew Cuomo spent the early part of this week in a marathon bill signing — and vetoing — session. The governor rejected an unusually high number of bills, and some supporters of the vetoed measures aren’t pleased.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pressuring state lawmakers to come back in December for a special session that includes a number of reform items to address recent corruption scandals. In exchange, he said, they could potentially be rewarded with a pay raise.

Indictments are due by Wednesday in an economic development corruption scandal involving Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former top aide and other former associates. The governor has been active in recent days on other matters, including taking steps to counteract a rise in hate crimes after the election of Donald Trump as president.

Governor Cuomo on Sunday took a number of steps that he says are in reaction to the divisiveness in the nation , that has intensified since the Presidential election. Cuomo, without mentioning President-elect Donald Trump by name, said the “ugly discourse” has made him “soul sick” for America.

Recommendations on how to go forward with some of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development contracts tainted by scandal have been delayed for another few weeks, the governor’s economic development chairman said.

If the state Senate is controlled by Democrats after the election, taxing and spending policies could see some differences. Many Democrats favor extending an income tax surcharge on millionaires when it expires next spring.

There’s a greater chance than ever that the state Senate could be dominated by Democrats after the Nov. 8 election, meaning many issues stalled in the Republican-led Senate for years would have a possibility of passing.

New York Senior Senator Charles Schumer, in the only debate with his opponent, broadcast on Time Warner Cable, said he’s “appalled” by FBI director James Comey’s actions, including the decision announced Friday to re-examine emails from Hillary Clinton’s top aide for evidence of misuse of classified materials.

It looks like U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer will be re-elected to a fourth term on Nov. 8, barring any major turn of events. He’s about 40 points ahead of his nearest opponent in the polls, and the bigger question now is: Will Schumer be the next Senate minority leader or majority leader?

Governor Andrew Cuomo took a step deeper into the partisan politics of the state Senate on Tuesday night, telling two Democratic factions that they’ll have to work together if the November elections go their way.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says his office needs better oversight of state economic development contracts, in light of a corruption scandal that has led to criminal charges against Governor Cuomo’s former top aide, other Cuomo Administration associates and two major upstate developers. Karen DeWitt sat down with DiNapoli this week to talk about that and other topics, including a drop in state revenues of nearly three quarter of a billion dollars so far this year, and his...

Pipeline companies are not having a lot of success in New York so far in 2016. Opponents say they are dirty and continue New York’s over reliance on fossil fuels. Two projects have already been canceled. A pipeline company representative says the projects are not as harmful as opponents say and, in fact, essential for the state’s current electric needs.

State lawmakers with disabled children, along with people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers, rallied Monday at the State Capitol for more money in the budget to pay caregivers a living wage.